4 Most Common Problems with Heartland RV

Heartland RVs are a recreational vehicle manufacturer in the United States created in 2003 by Brian Brady. It grew by 225 percent and opened a new factory in Elkhart, Indiana, in 2005.

However, no vehicle is without fault. Neither are Heartland RVs. Are you aware of what problems the RV has? Do you know how to fix them? What do the users feel about it?

Bad plumbing and water leaks, faulty awning, bad components and furniture, and bad flooring are some of the common Heartland RV problems.

In this piece, I’ve done all the groundwork for you. After reading this article you will have a better understanding of this RV and be more confident about your decision.

Problems and Solutions at a Glance

Heartland RV Problems	Solutions
Bad Plumbing and Water Leaks	Take it to the repair shop; troubleshoot leaks.
Faulty Awning	Troubleshoot (self).
Bad Components and Furniture	Troubleshoot. Unclog drains.
Bad Flooring	Replace entire flooring.

Heartland RV Problems and the Solutions

You may experience a few Heartland RV problems when using it. Here are a few frequent problems and how to solve them.

1. Bad Plumbing and Water Leaks:

Water pipes, faucets, shower heads, toilets, drains, holding tanks, pumps, and winterization controls make up the RV plumbing system. Water for your plumbing fixtures can come from the fresh water holding tank, the water pump, or a hose attached to the trailer from city (or campground) water. The trailer includes a 40 gallon black tank and a fresh water capacity of 105 gallons approximately.

A major problem in the plumbing system is: everything but the shower drains directly into the black tank. It was revealed that the kitchen sink and toilet drain into the same tank by design (after removing several panels to investigate the plumbing). This is surprising!

There is no practical way to re-plumb the sink so that it drains into the gray tank. An overflowing tub may cause a burst of pipe beneath the kitchen sink. Leaks frequently occur from the pipes due to various reasons.

Speaking of leaks, it is also a frequent problem. On both the dining and kitchen slides, you may notice standing water and damp carpets.

The Fix:

Unfortunately for the plumbing, there is little to do other than taking the vehicle to the dealer. In case of leaks there are a few things you can do.

Close the door to your coach; you’ll need it to be dark inside. Examine the bottom corners of the slides. If you see daylight, you’ve found the source of the leak.

Fresh tank overflow occurs if you haven’t been towing in the rain and the water is leaking from the back. If the water pump’s internal check valve is partially open while connected to city water, water can flow backwards into the fresh tank, causing it to overfill.

Most of the time, it’s easy to fix hand tight connections by tightening the connections (like behind the shower fixture or in front of the sink). There are pex connections that usually need to be replaced when there is a leak.

2. Faulty Awning:

An integrated tube motor in an electric awning extends and retracts. A system of metal arms called struts supports all awnings.

The awning on the Heartland RV could be facing the wrong way. When you hold the ‘out’ button instead of ‘in’, it appears to keep rolling. The In and Out switch has the potential to reverse itself.

You may also notice that the awning is moving slower and that the motor is working harder. The struts described earlier could get broken as well. The electric awning cloth shrinking is a slightly related issue.

The Fix:

Turn off all electrical appliances before attempting to repair awning issues. Only a few wires and clamps are required to repair a broken strut. Remove the switch from the wall mount and inspect the backside connectors.

They may have been bent or loose, causing them to come into contact with one another. If they appear to be close together, separate them a little. Inspect the mounting hole for debris that could be causing a short.

If everything else fails, try switching the power lines on the back of the switch. It’s possible that you have a faulty awning switch.

Also, if the hole switch isn’t labeled on the switch itself, try flipping it 180 degrees. The awning motor may run backwards if the battery was removed and the anodes were reversed when reinstalled.

3. Bad Components and Furniture:

A plethora of electrical components fail. Water is sprayed all over the floor as the washer spins, eventually dripping over the back tire. The toilet area next to the washer’s hookup gets drenched as well.

A water leak could occur if the ice maker’s water supply line was pinched. The glass cooktop cover handle appears to be loose.

The vinyl on the chairs and the fold-out couch may peel and break. The finishing on the sofas too come off. A lot of Lippert products appear to have this problem.

The Fix:

Troubleshooting individual issues is necessary. In the case of the washer, the drains may be clogged. Running the washing machine with the drain hose extended out the door may be a temporary fix.

4. Bad Flooring:

This is a notorious problem. In particular, the vinyl around the sink might appear to be bubbling. Delamination of the wood subfloor is possible.

And by that, I mean indentations on the side of the floor in front of the rocker recliners. It is caused by leaks, or other reasons. This can’t be fixed by laying down new plywood.

It’s possible that the vinyl flooring will crack and split throughout the winter. Except that, you may occasionally experience a squishy floor on the front storage compartment. This damage to the floor can reach all the way to the bedroom.

Directly below the trailer’s front air dam, where the roof, gutter, and rail all meet, is the most rot-prone area. Your leak may be coming from that storage compartment door.

The Fix:

Heartland may recommend that the dealer lay down 1/4-inch plywood on top of the old floor and then lay down new vinyl. It is, however, necessary to remove the entire floor and replace it.

What Majority of the Users Feel About?

In little than five years, Heartland rose to become the world’s third-largest retailer of fifth wheels. Heartland is known for its high-quality, long-lasting craftsmanship and consistently low prices.

But users do feel like the quality of the build has disappointed them. This article serves as a reminder of that as well. Especially, the electronics, plumbing system and other interior components have been disappointing.

The flooring issue is a costly repair. So most people do not want to go about with the RV.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately I could say that the vehicle is not an ideal choice. All thanks to the Heartland RV problems. I hope this article supplies you with additional information on that statement.

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